Leader's Honor Roll

Leaders Honor Roll program is intended to honor outstanding University of Missouri Extension community leaders who have excelled in supporting or co-teaching named programs.

Selection Criteria

Selection should be based on community leadership efforts that support the University of Missouri Extension Strategic Direction and program priorities (listed below):

1) Enhanced Economic viability

2) Building Strong Individuals, Families and Communities

3) Creating and Sustaining Healthy Environments

County Program Directors will work with University of Missouri Extension staff to select two (2) outstanding leaders in each community for recognition.

This award is for lay leaders not organizations. Each county will have a record of past honorees. It is intended to honor individual lay leaders only once, so please refer to past records to avoid duplication.

State Fair Farm Family

Each year, a local farm family is selected to represent Worth County as the Farm Family of the Year at the Missouri State Fair. The farm family chosen should meet the following criteria:

Be actively engaged in agricultural activities and rely on University of Missouri Extension and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources for their programming and technical assistance

Be active supporters and cooperators with the University of Missouri Extension

Take an active leadership role within their community

Have at least one child actively involved in 4-H, FFA or any other youth organizations

Be respected by their neighbors and their community

Are interested in participating in and agree to represent their county at the Missouri State Fair

Each year, the fair sets aside a day to recognize farm families from across the state who are active in their community, involved in agriculture and participate in local outreach and extension programs such as 4-H and FFA.

The annual event is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Farm Bureau, the Missouri State Fair, the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and University of Missouri Extension.

Century Farms

Long-term owners of Missouri farms are proud of their family accomplishments. This was evident during the Centennial Farm program held in Missouri during the American Revolution Bicentennial Year of 1976. In that popular program, 2,850 Missouri farm owners in 105 of Missouri’s 114 counties were recognized as owning a "Centennial Farm."

Interest in the program continued after 1976. Several Missouri farm owners asked about having their farms recognized, so the University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources and the University of Missouri Extension planned a 10-year update in 1986 called the "Century Farm" program. During this update, 1,080 additional Missouri farms were recognized.

Long-term family farm owners who were not able to take part in the 1976 or 1986 events still wanted recognition, so the College and MU Extension planned for annual updates. Since 1987, an additional 4,674 farms have been recognized. The program has continued each year with approximately 100 or more farms being recognized each year. In 2014, there were 233 farms recognized. In 2008, Missouri Farm Bureau became a program co-sponsor.

Guidelines

The same family must have owned the farm for 100 consecutive years or more as of Dec. 31 of the application year.

The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings and nephews or nieces, including through marriage or adoption.

The present farm shall consist of no less than 40 acres of the original land and shall make a financial contribution to the overall farm income.

MU Extension, MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and the Farm Bureau jointly sponsor the Missouri Century Farm program. Local MU Extension Councils help with sponsorship by publicizing the program, collecting and certifying nominations, and arranging for local recognition. Extension Publications, part of the office of Extension and Agricultural Information, coordinates the program.